Original content and news about the autism epidemic from the perspective that autism is treatable. Anaylsis of current media treatment of autism and the environmental causes of autism.

I think I heard a CNBC host make a joke under his breath this morning about vaccine mandates meaning kids can't go to school. Did anyone catch it? Anyway, it's how the truth gets expressed these days. -0- Measles vax...

CBS Vaccine Myths Contradict Previous Reports by Own Journalist

Coming from the CBS website, it looked like an official news report but in reality, it was a series of slides, each with the description of a supposed "myth" about vaccines.

This was the introduction:

"What's the truth about childhood vaccines? Are they an effective way to safeguard kids against a range of potentially deadly illnesses? Or do they cause autism and other medical problems? Keep clicking as Seth Mnookin, the author of 'The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear,' separates vaccine fact from fiction with his list of common misconceptions. It's information that just might save a life."

The message was clear: There are a lot of myths out there and Mnookin is the source of truth, according to CBS. Very strange since Mnookin is not a CBS correspondent nor a medical doctor but a journalist taking a one-sided advocacy view of the vaccine safety issue and being given a platform on the CBS website to sell his new book.

Mnookin started out right away with MYTH #1: "Vaccines cause autism." We were told that "dozens of studies involving millions of children have found no link between childhood vaccines and autism." Vaccines are safe, they certainly don't overwhelm the immune system and they not responsible for serious health problems. According to Mnookin, there's no problem with the ever-expanding vaccine schedule and no need to delay any vaccines.

I don't know why someone who's not a medical expert was considered a qualified source to declare controversial claims about vaccines to be "MYTHS," but CBS let Mnookin do it. How do people at CBS reconcile promoting Mnookin's statements as gospel truth with the well documented news reports by one of their veteran investigative reporters, Sharyl Attkisson? She's given us years of ground-breaking investigative reports about vaccine safety questions that are yet to be fully answered by people like Mnookin who pretend that nobody should be asking any questions.

Report by Sharyl Attkisson in 2008: (HERE) Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the National Institutes of Health, stated that the good scientific studies haven't been done to examine whether there is or is not a causal association between vaccines and autism.

Report by Sharyl Attkisson in 2010: CBS on Vaccination HERE "[V]accines cause injury or death. Very rarely, patients are left with what's known as 'encephalopathy,' the medical term for brain damage.

"In fact, CBS News has found nearly 1,300 cases in which vaccine-related brain damage has been compensated in court over the past 20 years."

"Since the late 1980's, more than 2,100 families have received compensation for vaccine injuries under the federal program designed to help in rare instances of severe vaccine side effects. And more than half of those awards are for brain injuries."

Report by Sharyl Attkisson in 2010: (HERE) "The first court award in a vaccine-autism claim is a big one. CBS News has learned the family of Hannah Poling will receive more than $1.5 million dollars for her life care; lost earnings; and pain and suffering for the first year alone."In addition to the first year, the family will receive more than $500,000 per year to pay for Hannah's care. Those familiar with the case believe the compensation could easily amount to $20 million over the child's lifetime.

Report by Sharyl Attkisson in 2011: (HERE) "The tragic death of little Elias Tembenis is yet another vaccine injury case you probably won't hear much about. Yet some medical experts believe it could teach us something about how to make vaccination safer."

"Elias was born on Aug. 23, 2000 and appeared healthy until Dec. 26 when he received his second dose of DTaP vaccine. His parents noticed some swelling around the injection site. According to court records:

"Early in the morning on December 27, 2000, Elias's parents found him seizing in his crib and took him to the emergency room ...Within one day, he developed a fever, which led to a complex febrile seizure. Subsequently, Elias developed epilepsy. This fact pattern is commonly seen in the Vaccine Program."

"According to court records, after the DTaP reaction, the once-healthy baby ended up with debilitating medical problems, including features of autism, ear infections and developmental delay. His parents first filed their case as one of the ‘omnibus’ group of autism cases to be heard in federal vaccine court."

Report by Sharyl Attkisson in 2011: (HERE) "For all those who've declared the autism-vaccine debate over, a new scientific review begs to differ. It considers a host of peer-reviewed, published theories that show possible connections between vaccines and autism."

Are we to believe that a responsible journalist like Sharyl Attkisson, who takes care to get her facts straight, has had it wrong for years and that the evidence she presented in her reports are just myths? I would suggest that CBS consider letting the public hear another point of view from an expert whose perspective challenges that of journalist Seth Mnookin, especially when it comes to whether or not there are outstanding questions yet to be answered about the causal association between vaccine complications and the development of autism in some children.

On April 20, 2011, veteran journalist Robert McNeil interviewed Dr. David Amaral about the possible causes of autism for the PBS NewsHour series, Autism Now. Amaral is the head of the MIND Institute at UC-Davis and a leading expert on autism. He joined other experts who acknowledge the possibility that a subgroup of children are genetically vulnerable to vaccine reactions and permanent brain damage, including that which would lead to development of autism. He called for more research into finding these subgroups of susceptible children. HERE Amaral said, "In their case, having the vaccines, or particular vaccines, particularly in certain kinds of situations -- if the child was ill, ... vaccinations for those children actually may be the environmental factor that tipped them over the edge of autism. And I think it is incredibly important, still, to try and figure out what, if any, vulnerabilities, in a small subset of children, might make them at risk for having certain vaccinations. ...And I frankly don't think that there's going to be a large group of children that -- their autism is caused by their standard immunizations. But you know, it could be a small subset."

The big question is why is CBS allowing such a one-sided presentation without balancing it with an opposing view to allow for balance? It wouldn't be hard for CBS to find a real expert to put together a similar slide show called "10 Reasons Why You Should Make Well Informed Vaccine Choices." I can guarantee it would have a receptive audience among Americans who are asking questions about vaccine safety and getting bogus answers from self-styled experts like Mnookin.

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I am a parent of an autistic diagnosed child. My son is now five years old, he was diagnosed at the age of three. I know this is a controversial issue, and as with most controversial issues there or truths on both sides of this dispute. One thing I do know is that I know my child. As with most parents I know what every facial expression means. I know by the look on his face if he is sad, I know if he is happy, I know if he is mad, I know if he does not feel good. I also know that I watched my child change they day he had his vaccination, never to be the same again. This once happy, giggling carefree child within hours of his vaccinations changed. He became distant, irritated, irrational and inconsolable. He would not longer look us in the eyes as he done just days earlier. The hardest part of this journey has been the blatant disregard as we told people what we witnessed our child change in the blink of an eye. They claim that the vaccinations are safe and that it is just coincidence, and that we have made this up so that we have someone or something to blame for our child’s diagnosis. I have had people tell me that I hate my child for his issues and that is why I am looking to blame someone. I had no idea that people could be so cold and heartless when a parent is crying out for help, by talking about what we saw in our child just hours after his vaccinations. We are not the only parents who have seen this happen. I speak with more and more of them every day. For my full story and many other parent stories pertaining to vaccination damage please visit http://www.kodawe.com/?page_id=655
I applaud the media for reporting in an unbiased manner when I see articles such as this one. Thank you!

"An investigative reporter for The New York Times, Barstow has written several big stories about the shoving match between the media and public relations in what eventually becomes the national dialogue. As the crowd at the hearing clearly showed, the game has been changing.

'The muscles of journalism are weakening and the muscles of public relations are bulking up -- as if they were on steroids,' he says....

Moreover, even original reporting often bore the fingerprints of government and private public relations. Mark Jurkowitz, associate director the Pew Center, said the Baltimore report concentrated on six major story lines: state budget cuts, shootings of police officers, the University of Maryland's efforts to develop a vaccine, the auction of the Senator Theater, the installation of listening devices on public busses, and developments in juvenile justice. It found that 63 percent of the news about those subjects was generated by the government, 23 percent came from interest groups or public relations, and 14 percent started with reporters."

10 DEADLY MYTHS ABOUT CHILDHOOD VACCINEShttp://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10007546.html
“Seth Mnookin, the author of "The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear," separates vaccine fact from fiction with his list of common misconceptions. It's information that just might save a life.”
(Mr Mnookin is ACTUALLY promoting myths and misconceptions by presenting FICTION as FACTS)

10 MYTHS ABOUT MNOOKIN'S MYTHS:-

1. Myth: Vaccines cause autism
. “In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published an article about a possible link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. But that study has since been debunked. Other scientists have failed to replicate his findings, and dozens of studies involving millions of children have found no link between childhood vaccines and autism.”

It is a MYTH to state that Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet study has been ‘debunked’! His findings have been replicated many times by other scientists. The main studies used to ‘debunk’ autism links between MMR vaccine and those vaccines containing mercury preservative, are those Danish epidemiological studies involving Poul Thorsen, recently indicted in the US for fraud and money laundering. Thorsen was once employed by the CDC, which instigated the Danish studies.

2. Myth: Childhood vaccines contain mercury
“Some standard childhood vaccines used to contain the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal - but Mnookin says that except for certain formulations of the flu vaccine, that is no longer true.”

Mnookin is WRONG, and what would an unqualified person like him be expected to know about vaccines anyway; it is a MYTH to state that no child vaccines contain mercury!! The influenza vaccine, currently administered to pregnant mothers and some children, DOES contain Thiomersal. Unused H1N1 vaccine in the US was designated TOXIC WASTE by disposal authorities!!

3. Myth: There's no risk to not getting vaccinated
“Many childhood diseases have all but disappeared in the U.S. in recent decades. In part, that's because vaccines are so effective. But it's a mistake to assume - as some parents do - that these diseases no longer pose much of a threat. Earlier this year, at least 10 children were hospitalized with measles after an unvaccinated child sparked an outbreak in Minnesota. In 2010, whooping cough (pertussis) claimed the lives of 10 infants in California.”

It’s TRUE that children can still catch infectious diseases BUT IT IS A MYTH that vaccines always protect children from them!! The Californian Pertussis outbreak occurred in a well vaccinated child population and a recent mumps outbreak in Oban, Scotland, involved MMR vaccinated teenagers. Mumps is far more serious in older children and adults. SOME children also cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

4. Myth: There's no harm in delaying vaccines
“The schedule is designed so that the youngest and most vulnerable children are protected. Delaying vaccines is a bit like buying a new car and then waiting a year to start wearing the seat belts.”

What a horrible analogy to car seatbelts and how utterly patronizing to parents!! I don’t know where Mnookin gets this idea of ‘designing’ vaccine schedules either. Maybe, in his complete ignorance, he thinks vaccination schedules have to be designed in the same way as cars and appliances. THIS IS A MYTH!! The TRUTH is rather different; nature is dynamic and vaccination timing HAS to be pragmatic. In fact the timing of child vaccinations can and has been changed, not once but many times and there is presently pressure for more changes. Delaying the DPT vaccine for just 2 months for example, apparently reduces the possibility of the child subsequently developing asthma.

5. Myth: Doctors are paid to give vaccines
“One of the most stubborn rumors regarding vaccines is that pediatricians earn bonuses for each shot they administer. Mnookin says that's simply not true.”

Aha!! Mnookin says!! But then again Mnookin is not a doctor so is once again speaking through ignorance!! I have NO IDEA about the US but in the UK our GP’s earn generous bonuses if they achieve high vaccination rates. Low vaccination rates?-NO BONUS!! So, in the UK at least, it is a MYTH that doctors don’t get paid for administering vaccines. They are actually paid in ways that force them to ‘pressurise’ parents.

6. Myth: Vaccines get too much credit for preventing illness
“Some people say improved sanitation and better living conditions explain the steep decline in the toll taken by communicable diseases. Improved sanitation does help explain the decline in illnesses that spread via contaminated food or water (like cholera and typhoid), But scientists say the decline in airborne infections like measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough (which spread via coughing and sneezing) is overwhelmingly the work of widespread vaccination.”

Weasel words here!! ‘Some people’ DO INDEED point to improved sanitation and better living conditions to explain the lower TOLL taken by some diseases! It’s a MYTH that these persons claim that vaccinations don’t reduce the incidence of diseases vaccinated against.

7. Myth: "Natural" immunity is best
“Some vaccine critics claim that "natural" immunity lasts longer than the immunity that comes from being vaccinated. That's true, but only in some cases. Problem is, natural immunity comes from actually having a disease, and that's much more dangerous than getting a vaccine for the disease. To take one example, all the children affected by the recent outbreak of measles in Minnesota will now have natural immunity - but more than half of them had to be hospitalized as a result of their infections.”

It’s a MYTH that ‘natural immunity’ only lasts longer in ‘some cases’. Mnookin has made this up!! NI provides lifelong immunity in almost all cases. Measles and mumps, prior to vaccination programmes, had low mortality rates, and mumps in particular, is far better contracted in infancy. Viruses DO evolve to ‘get round’ vaccinations which in many cases do not confer lifelong immunity to the diseases. Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ also explains why vaccine resistant strains are more serious. How many of those Minnesota children were vaccinated against measles?? Just asking Mnookin!!
It is also the case that Rubella vaccine is unnecessary for boys. HPV vaccine is only administered to girls in the UK, but there is a huge ‘push’ by the vaccine manufacturers to include boys in the programme. One of the reasons given is that it ‘protects’ against other cancers. This is FRIGHTENING RUBBISH. There is as yet NO REAL EVIDENCE that Gardasil even protects against cancer of the cervix. The vaccine is ‘aimed’ at the Human Papilloma Virus, implicated in causing this cancer. Some scientists suspect the vaccine might even CAUSE cancer!! Fortunately, in the UK at least, the boys are all refuseniks!! Older children, unlike helpless infants, have minds of their own!!

8. Myth: Kids today are vaccinated against dozens of diseases
“Between birth and age six, the standard vaccination schedule calls for children to get a total of 14 vaccines, including the one for influenza. That number is more than in previous decades (five in the 1960s, seven in the 1970s, nine in the 1980s, and 11 in 2000). But advances in vaccine technology mean kids receive a total vaccine "load" that is smaller today than a half-century ago.”

This MYTH is a MYTH!! No one is saying that kids are vaccinated against ‘dozens’ of diseases. Whatever Mnookin says about ‘vaccine load’, there is absolutely NO QUESTION that children are NOW receiving far more vaccinations than ever before and for MORE diseases!!

This sounds a bit ‘technical’ for Mnookin, who is obviously basing his ‘evidence’ on Paul Offit’s pronouncement that newborns can stand up to 10,000 vaccines at once!! This is a MYTH!! What is being questioned is NOT the administration of vaccines, but the administration of multiple vaccines at one session. There is plenty of evidence that this can be harmful. What happened to ‘safety first?’

10 Myth: Vaccines are given according to a one-size-fits-all approach to public health
“States exempt certain children from being vaccinated, including those who are immunocompromised as well as those with certain illnesses or allergies to specific vaccine ingredients. And Mnookin says 48 states allow parents not to vaccine their children for religious reasons. Since these exemptions mean some kids are going without vaccines, the key to keeping disease rates low is to make sure that as many children who are eligible for vaccines get them.”

Mnookin is being illogical here!! If a ‘one size fits all’ approach to child vaccination is a MYTH then surely parents should be allowed to choose to exempt their children. This is called informed choice. A ‘one size fits all’ approach ‘FORCES parents to vaccinate their children, even when there are legitimate concerns about the safety or appropriateness of the vaccine for that particular child. The concept of ‘herd immunity’ promoted by both Mnookin and Offit is a perfect example of a ‘one size fits all’ vaccine schedule.

This was Paul Offit's way of getting back at Sharyl Atkinson and CBS (always behind a curtain) for getting slapped for his lies in the Orangecounty news. Is it not obvious. Everywhere you see Seth, Trine, Specter, (all journalists, he cannot find doctors)... he is behind them all the way. Follow the money

It's interesting to me that the slide show is to determine if your child "is at risk." That's similar to talking about cancer. We are aware that cancer has causes, even if we believe genetics might play a role. If autism were genetic, what is the point in talking about risk. You have it, or you don't.

"Of 10,479 babies screened, 184 who were sent for further testing followed through - and 32 eventually were diagnosed with autism. That's consistent with expected rates of detection that young.

"Numerous other children were diagnosed with language delay or another developmental problem, so that in the end, the screening accurately predicted some problem in 75 percent of those kids. But there were false alarms for 1 in 4, who had no problems."

It's also interesting to me that they note this checklist does well at detecting "other" developmental problems. So are they consciously aware of the true environmental injury spectrum here, but not saying so, or are they unable to see the forest for the trees, except perhaps subconsciously?

Thanks for writing about this. However, I would rather see that name gone from sight. He is not a scientist and certainly no expert regarding autism. He has no business getting propaganda via CBS. Bob's nephew should not be given the weight. He should go into oblivion together with his writings about a subject he doesn't understand.

I guess it's only a coincidence that when my son was photographed professionally a few days after getting multiple vaccines, he made no eye contact in every damn proof shot.

Yes, he had napped. Yes, he had eaten. Yes, the photographer tried every trick in the book to get his attention. The child looked stoned out of his mind.

Was that encephalopathy? Did that cause the cortical lesion? How many other children will suffer the same brain and nerve damage because ethically deficient vaccine developers and policymakers refuse to investigate?

You have done a fantastic job by educating yourself about your daughter problems. Now you can act as an informed parent. In my opinion, you may start the treatment by chelating Hg from Megan’s body with DMSA (if you have not done it yet). You can buy it in health food stores. A short course of intensive chelation treatment includes taking DMSA 400-500 mg 3x day. This will remove about 80-90 % of Hg from the peripheral organs. Then a break - taking daily multivitamins, minerals, drinking fresh vegetable juices etc. After 3 month repeat the same DMSA treatment course. This should remove the rest of mercury from her body and will start removing it from the brain. At that point you can introduce alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which helps to remove Hg from the brain. The reason, why you don’t want to start the chelation course from ALA is that it moves Hg through the blood-brain barrier both ways, hence if you have high levels of Hg in the periphery, it may increase Hg in the brain. I would keep her later on ALA for many months. Simultaneously and independently with the chelation therapy, you can give your daughter magnesium and progesterone (probably best in a form of path or cream). Progesterone metabolites and Mg act to reduce neuronal excitability, hence they may diminish or even block Megan’s seizures. If her seizures have hormonal basis, it should be possible to control them by balancing the hormones. I would also give her a melatonin dose each night. Best of luck to you and Megan.

Jenny Allen,
It's also amazing that Mnookin has the funds to continuously jet around the country defending vaccines even though he says he'll never earn royalties from his book. Where is all the $$$ coming from? I'd like to see his travel receipts. He's constantly tweeting about his plane trip here or Acela trip there. He must have a Pharmie Godmother with deep pockets.

As for his "ten myths," we can register our opinions about that nonsense with CBS by clicking on the small "contact" link at the bottom of any page of his list.

Perhaps someday, a parent will sue a media outlet for disseminating false information that led to a vaccine injury. It would be intersting to hear an attorney's opinion on that.

We must remember to use the name "Seth Mnookin" whenever parents are admonished for listening to Jenny McCarthy. Like Seth, Jenny is a successful, published author. Their most marked difference, however, is that Jenny actually knows (and provides long-term care for) a child with autism, giving her substantially more credibility than a hired pharma-journalist.

I saw this series of slides and was struck by how professionally produced they were, designed for maximum impact. This will have cost a lot of money and was clearly intended to influence parents in favour of vaccines.

Isn't it amazing that the 'opinions' of two completely unqualified persons, Seth Mnookin and Brian Deer, are given such prominence and support within public funded government agencies.